


Phil Coulson

by FemSanzo291



Series: Keeping Secrets [6]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Deaf Clint Barton, Gen, Hydra (Marvel), Prosthesis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-02-29 12:43:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18778531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FemSanzo291/pseuds/FemSanzo291
Summary: Phil Coulson was a man who wanted to change things. Once he joined SHIELD he found that there was people there that thought just like him.





	1. 1988

**Author's Note:**

> Coulson was born in 1964 and finished the SHIELD Academy of Communications in 1988 given his own team in 1996.

When Philip J. Coulson made his way into a science lab that was to help make him his badge and get him his weaponry. He wondered why it wasn't in HR, but down with the rest of the R&D labs, he didn't care as long as he could get his permanent badge and gun. He was ready to join SHIELD properly and had been for a while.

He pushed the doors open leading into the lab to see a single girl sitting on the far side of the lab. She has short hair dyed bright blue sitting at a basic computer. She had a flannel shirt and her legs were tucked underneath herself.

“Umm... I’m looking for an Agent A. Carter?” Coulson looked down at the paper he had been given earlier that day that has what he had to do before he could be considered an agent.

The girl looked over her shoulder at him and then placed her feet into the shoes on the floor. She then stood and grabbed a pair of glasses from the desk and put them on.

“That would be me. What all do you need newbie?” Alea moved to the far cabinet and opened it to reveal racks of various guns, knives, and tasers.

“A gun, my permanent ID, and passcodes.” Alea nodded and pulled a gun off the rack along with a holster. She motioned for him to follow her to the other side of the lab, so Coulson quickly made his way over.

Alea sat him down in one of the stools next to the wall and made him look forward before taking his picture.

“So Coulson what made you want to join SHIELD?” Alea was typing away on her computer.

“I wanted to make a difference, but the military wouldn't take me because I have flat feet. Also, I looked up to Captain America a lot as a kid.” Alea nodded and the printer next to her started up.

“Makes sense. What kid our age didn't look up to Captain America growing up. Also, do not lose your password sheet and do not let anyone take it. If you need it replaced or passwords changed you will have to go to IT and they will not be happy. Got that?” Alea handed him the ID, sheet, and the gun.

“Understood. How old are you?” Coulson started to stand up.

“I was born in 1960. I was injected with an anti-aging serum by my father when I was fourteen.” Coulson nodded and left the lab leaving Alea alone in her lair.


	2. 1996

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson's first time leading a team.

When Alea next met Coulson it was when he was finally being promoted to head a team and needed a medic to go with him on a mission. There wasn't anyone left but Alea. So he went to talk to her.

 

"Agent Carter I need both a medic and a pilot for the mission that I'm about to go on. I was wondering whether or not you would do so?" Coulson was almost vibrating in his shoes.

 

"Where are you going and how big of a team are you taking?" Alea didn't look up from her work. She had gotten field certified just a month before and it was unlikely that she would have been asked by the senior field leaders to go with them.

 

“We’re going to California, and the team is hopefully under ten members.” Coulson looked determined, “With you, I could probably decrease the size down to six or less.” 

 

Alea looked up from the circuit board that she was working on to look at Coulson. He looked put together except for the slight shaking that he was doing. That and a bit of sweat around his temples as well.

 

“Sure I’ll join you. When’s the brief?” Alea stands and holds out her hand.

 

Coulson’s eyes widen and his full face shows shock, but he quickly recovers. “The brief is tomorrow at thirteen hundred in conference room two-o-nine.” 

 

Alea nods as Coulson takes her hand. He let’s go and turns to leave. Alea allows him to do so before saying, “Do you need me to get any equipment together?“ 

 

“No, I think I have it settled.” Alea nods and allows him to leave. 

 

The next day she makes her way up to the conference room at about ten til to see Coulson talking to another younger agent, Sitwell if she remembered correctly. Alea opened the door and took a seat next to the left side of the head of the table. If this mission went well she would help Coulson get a small STRIKE team going. 

 

Once the meeting started she realized that the team was small, only seven members and most of them were new members to SHIELD. These members she wanted to see were they would be in three or four years.

 

"Agent Carter do you have anything to add?" Coulson looked at her. She knew that this was a raid on a Hydra base. There wasn't anything else that needed to be covered before they left either.

 

“No, you got it all covered Agent Coulson.” 

 

Coulson then dismissed them to go get ready and meet by the jet. Alea stood and looked at Coulson. "Don't doubt yourself agent. You will have other agents doubting your ability to lead." Alea turns and heads down to the jet to do the final checks on it. 

 

Once it passes her muster she calls for the team to load up. “Strap in everyone. I don’t want to turn and see anyone up during this flight. Got that?” She sees them nod as she starts the engine. 

 

As she guides the plane down the runway she hers one agent mutter, “Why is a kid flying our jet?” 

 

“Don’t underestimate anyone at all. She is the current teacher of the flight courses.” Alea heard Agent May respond. Alea liked May because she was young and showed promise as an agent that will rise through the ranks. She also seemed to truly part of SHIELD and not a Hydra agent in disguise as well. 

 

Once they arrived at the Denver Airport they disembarked. Alea made sure to get the jet locked up before joining the others at the cars. Alea gets in the second one with Coulson and May.

 

“Agent Carter isn’t this your first field mission?” Agent May asked as she handed Alea a gun. 

 

“Kinda. I’ve done a few light missions while getting my field certification. There was that one undercover mission that I did about ten or so years ago.” Alea took the gun and placed it into the holster on her hip. 

 

“What do you mean you did a mission before having a field certification?”

 

Alea leaned back into the seat before looking up at the ceiling. “I’m young looking that’s why. When they needed someone to go to a high school undercover I was the youngest looking. Director Carter had to talk on my behalf to get me on it, but it turned out to be the best choice.”

 

Once they parked and Alea got out and looked around the scene that caused them to be called down there. It was definitely Hydra's work seeing as the damage was scattered and reminded her of the pictures she'd seen of the Second World War.

 

"Get to work. Everything needs to be cataloged and numbered," Coulson called out. Alea walked around the scene taking in little details. She could see the blood that had soaked into the ground days ago stand out from the light clay.

 

As Alea made a second round someone yelled that there was a bomb. Alea rushed over to them to see I she could dismantle it. Once she took a look at it she knew what it was, a simple tripwire bomb that had already started to count down.

 

There was no stopping it and so she yelled, "Gather everything and run! Get at least twenty feet away!" She started to run herself. She gets about thirty feet away before it goes off.

 

She can feel the shockwave before feeling a pulling force. She grappled with a crack in the ground with her left hand and grabbed onto the closest SHIELD agent with her right. It was only seconds before the wind died down, and when Alea looked back the scene didn't surprise her. She could see the ground and equipment balled up in a crater.

 

"What the hell was that?" the agent that she had ahold of asked. She let him go.

 

"Nitramene," she answered as she stood. She made her way over to Coulson taking note of the injuries that everyone had as she did so. No-one was majorly injured and no-one had been caught up in the blast.

 

"Agent Carter do you know what that was?" Coulson asked as soon as she was in hearing range. It was then she realized that her ears were still ringing.

 

"Nitramene bomb. It wasn't as powerful as the ones that Howard Stark had made, but still, I wonder how Hydra got their sticky hands on the formula." Alea rubbed below her ears to check for bleeding, luckily they weren't.

 

"So is there a way to dismantle them or is it just get back and let them explode?" Coulson asked as he started to walk towards the creator.

 

"Yeah, and it's pretty easy. I just didn't have any of the stuff to do it so it had to go off. On that matter can we go to Walmart?" Alea followed him into the creator.

 

"Let's finish getting this cleaned up before we do so, but sure," Coulson answered.

 

Alea looked at the ball and saw all of their technology was mostly what made up the ball. She would have to request Fitzpatrick for the new technology to be sent. This mission just got a whole lot harder to complete.

 

Alea took out her phone and called into the base. She made sure to ask for Fitzpatrick because she wouldn’t hurt her for this. 

 

“Carter, what do you need?” Alea heard the eye roll that Mary was giving her.

 

“I need you to find the equipment request list for Agent Coulson’s current mission.”

 

“Carter, what happened out there that you want me to get all of a missions equipment and send it?” Alea could hear the rustling of the paperwork on the other side of the phone.

 

“Do you remember when I brought up the fact that I hoped that Hydra never got a hold of nitramene?” Alea paused as Mary hummed, “They did. We lost most if not all of it that explosion.”

 

“Alright, I’ll send it to the address listed that you have listed?” 

 

“Yes. I’ll have Agent Sitwell be there to gather it. He’ll be the one to sign for it.” 

 

“Got it. See you when you get back Carter.” 

 

“Back at you Fitzpatrick.” 

 

Alea puts her phone as soon as she hears the dial tone. She turns to see May standing next to her. She gives her a look before spotting Agent Sitwell and jogging over to him. He was standing with Coulson and another agent.

 

“Sitwell get to our motel and wait for another SHIELD agent to get here for the replacement tech.” Sitwell nods and grabs another junior agent before leaving.

 

“Carter, why did you pick Sitwell to be the one to receive the tech?” Coulson was giving her a look.

 

“Sitwell was the one to fill out the double form that had to be done. He has also done the technology courses, so I know he at least knows to be careful.” Alea answers as they head over to the cars. As they all piled into the car Alea noticed the poor agent forced to stay behind until the backup that Coulson called for came. 

 

Coulson nodded as they headed to the closest Walmart. Once there Alea headed in with both Coulson and May following. Alea went back to the baking section and got both baking soda and vinegar. Once she got what she hoped was enough she headed to check out. 

 

Once they were done they headed back to the motel and hoped that the equipment wouldn’t take too long to get here.

 

When the equipment arrived three or so hours later and they had all the members of the team back Alea started a demonstration on how to defuse a nitramene bomb. Once done and questions answered they went over the modified plan.

 

After Coulson had dismissed everyone Alea went to her room and started to work out the path through the building tomorrow. She'd need to be near the middle of the group so that she can get to anyone who needs medical attention.

 

When they headed out the next morning things were going smoothly until one member was shot by a Hydra agent. Alea returned fire before kneeling next to him and pulling the bullet out. She then concentrated on healing the hole as she rested her flesh hand on it.

 

"Careful about getting up. Otherwise, you should be fine." Alea stod and headed to stand next to Coulson.

 

"Carter, what do you make of what's going on?" Alea took a peek into his mind to see if he actually wanted her opinion or was making face. When she saw that he realized that he was a little out of his depths and wanted her opinion she left. She saw Coulson staring at her eyes.

 

"The mind powers that you have are why you wear those glasses that you left in the car, are they not?"

 

Alea nodded before answering his original question, "It seems to be doing better than some missions. Only one injury. I healed it so we're good there. What worries me is that we haven't seen any nitramene traps either."

 

Coulson nodded and after he ordered for them to go deeper he turned to Alea and replied, "I was just thinking the same thing. Come let's not get left behind." 

 

The caught up with the team and as they got closer to the center of the building Alea could tell that there weren't many Hydra agents left. They had stopped coming at them recklessly. She wondered if the scientists were the only ones left.

 

When they made it to the labs there was only one person there. He was about Coulson’s age and seemed terrified to see them. He put his hands above his head and Coulson asked, “Are you the one making the nitramene bombs.” He nodded his head. “Does anyone else know how to make them?” 

 

“No, I’m the only one,” his voice was strained. Alea entered his mind to see if he was telling the truth. He was.

 

Alea gave May the signal to shoot and she did. She shot him in the middle of the forehead. As the body dropped Coulson gave the order for them to gather all the information that they could.

 

After that everything went smoothly. They got the information that they needed before leaving the base rigged up to explode. As soon as they got far enough away they detonated the explosives and left. 

 

Once back to the motel Coulson came to her room and demanded, “I trust you. I want you to enter my mind.”

 

“Why?” Alea had been looking over the papers recovered but had looked up when he spoke. 

 

“Because you could be the key to me getting a real STRIKE team setup.” He sat on the edge of Alea’s double bed.

 

Alea had put on her glasses when she came back from the Hydra base, and when she saw how determined he was she took them off. She placed them on top of the papers before standing. 

 

“If I do this and I find out that you are against the ideas of SHIELD I will kill you here and now. Do you understand?” Alea moved to stand in front of him.

 

“I do.” 

 

Alea put a had on his chin and forced him to look into her eyes before entering his head. 

 

_ As Alea shifted through his memories she saw that he was enamored with both Captain America and Peggy Carter since he was small. It only increased as he got older. She saw him meeting with agent Fury and him recruiting him while he was in college. She felt the emotions as he took the SHIELD oath. She knew then that he wasn’t Hydra. _

 

“So what do you think?” Coulson asked as soon as she was free of his mind.

 

“Your not Hydra. I’ll help you make a new STRIKE team. Just let’s wait to talk about it till we get back.” Alea returns to her desk.

 

“Will do. See you in the morning.” Coulson heads out of her room.

 

It would be close to four years before that STRIKE team got up and going, but when it did it became the most effective STRIKE team there was.


	3. 2000

Coulson finally got the STRIKE team up and going about four years after he first went on a mission with Alea Carter. In that time Clint Barton better known as Hawkeye to some had joined. There had also been a change from Alexander Pierce as being the head of SHIELD to Nicholas J. Fury. Pierce had moved to be the representative to the World Security Council.

Carter had recommended for Barton to be placed under Coulson to start the new elite STRIKE team. Fury allowed it but also forced Carter to join the team as well. He told her that it was because he can’t have two of his best agents getting killed when there is a healer that can go as well.

Alea was glad to go on missions though. She had gotten her field certification for a reason. So STRIKE Team Delta was formed.

The first mission that the small three-person team went on was a retrieval mission. An 0-8-4 was discovered in Minnesota. So with Alea flying, they headed out.

Clint had gotten clearance to carry his bow on missions and was ecstatic that Alea was able to make better arrows. Behind her, in the quinjet, Alea knew Clint was showing Coulson various signs. They had been doing so over the past week. Coulson's signing had gotten a lot better and Alea wondered if it would have to be used on the mission, even though Clint was wearing combined comms unit and hearing aid.

She landed at the SHIELD base closest to the reported location and gathered cold weather equipment from there. Alea was glad that she had already put on her heating suit. She had to wear it because her body didn't do the best at thermoregulating itself. She watched as Clint beguilingly put on one of the winter coats that Coulson had.

"Why doesn't Carter have to wear one?" Clint whined as he slid it on.

"Oh, she will, but I know she will willingly put it on. You will not. Anyway, she needs to make sure that her heating suit is working." Coulson talked normally though he was facing Clint. Alea knew that Clint appreciated that Coulson didn't treat him any different than any other agent. He did accommodate his lack of hearing, but he didn't talk louder or slower just because he was deaf.

Alea could tell that her suit was working she grabbed one of the offered coats before heading towards the SUV that they would be using. The other two followed and Coulson took the wheel and Alea the passenger front seat. Clint pouted as he got into the back.

"Why are you wearing a heating suit anyway, Carter?" Clint asked as Coulson started the car.

"I don't thermoregulate well, and where it is this cold to keep from freezing to death I need to wear it," Alea answered as she fiddled with the car's heat.

Clint leaned back mumbling about something that Alea couldn't hear. Soon Coulson got the car going, and the heat kicked up another notch. Alea sighed as the hot air hit her.

They arrived at the reported location and could see why Fury wanted then to go instead of one local team. The building was odd. Possibly because the fifth floor was almost floating. Though Alea wondered if someone had made a gravity manipulation device.

"Barton watch our backs. Were headed in." Coulson turned on his comm as he headed in. Alea followed suit. When they made it inside there wasn't anyone in the building. As they made it up to the fourth floor Alea could feel the change in gravity.

"Coulson, you feel that?"

He nods. As they look around the floor Alea notices something. It was leaned against the far wall of the building. When she walked closer it was a machine that was letting out a high pitched whine.

_"Carter, what the hell is that?"_ Clint's voice was stained over the comm.

"I think I found what's causing the distortion. Sorry, if you're getting some bad feedback." Alea gets to work trying to get the machine to shut off.

It didn't take long for Alea to get it to shut down. "Barton, did the building return to normal?"

_"It did Carter."_

With that Alea and Coulson moved to move the machine to the elevator. It took both of them a while to do so, but it would be worth it for the technology. Once they made it out of the building Clint helped them pack it up.

Once back at the base Coulson was glad that this mission went smoother than the last few.

The machine was powered by an element known as gravitonium. Alea would spend the next few weeks studying the properties of it. Coulson would be glad that she had many years later.

At that point, Clinton Barton, Alea Carter and Philip Coulson became what would be called the deadliest STRIKE team there was. It would only get deadlier once the Black Widow joined a few years later.


End file.
